DDA Disability Awareness & Person-Centered Support 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following is the LEAST appropriate way to describe autism spectrum disorder to a new colleague?
- A neurological difference that affects social communication and sensory processing
- A spectrum condition with a wide range of strengths and support needs
- A disease that causes people to lack empathy or emotion (Correct answer)
- A developmental condition recognized by the DSM-5
Correct answer: A disease that causes people to lack empathy or emotion
Describing autism as causing a 'lack of empathy' is inaccurate and stigmatizing; many autistic individuals experience empathy deeply.
Question 2: What is the primary purpose of a 'one-page profile' in person-centered support?
- To document behavioral incidents for legal compliance
- To capture what matters to the individual and how best to support them on one page (Correct answer)
- To summarize medical diagnoses and treatment history
- To record staff performance evaluations
Correct answer: To capture what matters to the individual and how best to support them on one page
A one-page profile communicates the individual's preferences, important relationships, and effective support strategies in a concise, accessible format.
Question 3: When supporting an individual with Down syndrome who also has hypothyroidism, the DDA professional should:
- Treat the conditions as unrelated and support each separately
- Recognize that co-occurring health conditions may affect behavior and energy levels (Correct answer)
- Focus exclusively on developmental support and defer all health matters to medical staff
- Avoid discussing health issues to preserve the individual's dignity
Correct answer: Recognize that co-occurring health conditions may affect behavior and energy levels
DDA professionals must understand how health conditions interact with developmental disabilities to provide holistic, informed support.
Question 4: The concept of 'supported decision-making' differs from guardianship primarily because it:
- Removes all legal rights from the individual
- Keeps decision-making authority with the individual while providing assistance (Correct answer)
- Transfers authority to a professional support worker
- Requires court approval for every major decision
Correct answer: Keeps decision-making authority with the individual while providing assistance
Supported decision-making preserves the individual's legal right to make decisions while providing assistance from trusted people in their network.
Question 5: A DDA professional notices that an individual appears withdrawn and has stopped participating in preferred activities. The best initial response is to:
- Increase scheduled activities to re-engage the individual
- Document the change and explore possible underlying causes with the individual and team (Correct answer)
- Assume the individual is having a bad day and monitor for a week
- Immediately contact the individual's psychiatrist
Correct answer: Document the change and explore possible underlying causes with the individual and team
Changes in behavior or engagement often signal unmet needs, health issues, or environmental stressors that require collaborative investigation.
Question 6: Which of the following best supports community inclusion for individuals with developmental disabilities?
- Scheduling all activities within the residential facility for safety
- Facilitating participation in typical community settings alongside non-disabled peers (Correct answer)
- Organizing group outings exclusively with other individuals receiving services
- Limiting community access to structured, staff-supervised events
Correct answer: Facilitating participation in typical community settings alongside non-disabled peers
True community inclusion means participating in ordinary community life alongside non-disabled citizens, not just disability-specific group activities.
Question 7: Under the ADA, which of the following is an example of a reasonable accommodation in a workplace?
- Removing essential job functions to accommodate an employee
- Providing a flexible break schedule for an employee with an intellectual disability (Correct answer)
- Hiring a full-time aide to complete the employee's job duties
- Exempting the employee from all performance standards
Correct answer: Providing a flexible break schedule for an employee with an intellectual disability
Flexible break schedules are a reasonable accommodation that allows the employee to perform the essential functions of their job.
DDA Disability Awareness & Person-Centered Support 4
Which of the following is the LEAST appropriate way to describe autism spectrum disorder to a new colleague?